Understanding Greek Personal Pronouns: Object and Possessive Forms for English Speakers

Introduction to Greek Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Greek are essential for everyday communication. They replace nouns and indicate who is performing an action or who owns something. This article focuses on the object and possessive forms of Greek personal pronouns, which are crucial for English speakers learning Greek.

Object Forms of Greek Personal Pronouns

In Greek, the object pronouns are used to indicate the receiver of an action, similar to English. They often appear after verbs and can be placed before or after the verb depending on the sentence structure.

• Me (με) – me
• Se (σε) – you (singular)
• Ton (τον) – him
• Tin (την) – her
• To (το) – it
• Mas (μας) – us
• Sas (σας) – you (plural or formal)
• Tous (τους) – them

Example sentences:

• Ο Γιάννης με βλέπει. (O Giannis me vlepei.) – John sees me.
• Σε αγαπώ. (Se agapó.) – I love you.
• Τον βλέπω στο πάρκο. (Ton vlépo sto párko.) – I see him in the park.
• Την ακούω. (Tin akoúo.) – I hear her.
• Το έχω. (To écho.) – I have it.
• Μας βοηθάει. (Mas voitháei.) – He helps us.
• Σας περιμένω. (Sas periméno.) – I am waiting for you (plural).
• Τους καλώ. (Tous kaló.) – I call them.

Possessive Forms of Greek Personal Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Greek indicate ownership or possession. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, not with the owner. This is different from English, where possessive pronouns agree with the owner.

• Μου (mou) – my/mine
• Σου (sou) – your/yours (singular)
• Του (tou) – his
• Της (tis) – her/hers
• Μας (mas) – our/ours
• Σας (sas) – your/yours (plural or formal)
• Τους (tous) – their/theirs

Example sentences:

• Το βιβλίο μου είναι εδώ. (To vivlío mou eínai edó.) – My book is here.
• Η καρέκλα σου είναι άνετη. (I karékla sou eínai áneti.) – Your chair is comfortable.
• Το αυτοκίνητό του είναι καινούριο. (To aftokínitó tou eínai kainoúrio.) – His car is new.
• Η τσάντα της είναι κόκκινη. (I tsánta tis eínai kókkini.) – Her bag is red.
• Το σπίτι μας είναι μεγάλο. (To spíti mas eínai megálo.) – Our house is big.
• Οι φίλοι σας είναι ευγενικοί. (Oi fíloi sas eínai evgenikoí.) – Your friends are kind.
• Τα παιδιά τους παίζουν. (Ta paidiá tous paízoun.) – Their children are playing.

Key Differences Between Greek and English Pronouns

One important difference is that Greek possessive pronouns agree with the noun possessed in gender and number, not with the possessor. For example, "το βιβλίο μου" (my book) uses "μου" regardless of the gender of the speaker, but the noun "βιβλίο" is neuter, so the article "το" is neuter as well.

Also, object pronouns in Greek can be placed before the verb (proclitic) or attached to the end of the verb (enclitic), depending on the sentence mood and structure, which is different from English where object pronouns always follow the verb.

Summary and Practice Tips

To master Greek personal pronouns, practice using both object and possessive forms in sentences. Pay attention to the gender and number agreement in possessive pronouns and practice common phrases to become comfortable with their placement in sentences.